Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and France Telecom (Orange Labs R&D) have agreed to apply targeted research done at the Beersheba university to the data networks of Europe’s third-largest telecommunications company. France Telecom will collaborate with Prof. Michael Segal of the department of communications system engineering to use “location theory” to determine the optimal placement of their routers so their customers will get the best service.“The question is where is the best place to position the routers to improve the performance of the network,” said Segal, one of only a few researchers in the world who attempt to apply the theory to communications networks. Location theory uses complex algorithms and reams of statistical data to determine optimal placement. The placement of routers is critical for customer satisfaction. For example, if a router is too far from a customer’s house, there could be delays in the streaming of video on demand, Segal explained. “We will look at factors such as user demand, historical use in particular neighborhoods – whether there was heavier use in the morning or evening – and bandwidth, among others,” he continued.France Telecom and BGU signed a general cooperation agreement last year; the location theory contract is the first specific project to emerge from that agreement.TECHNION MATERIALS EXPERT IS TOPS Prof. Yeshayahu Lifshitz of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology has been named one of the world’s 100 top material sciences experts of the past decade, according to Reuters-Thompson and the Times Literary Supplement. He was the only Israeli on this list, which was selected from half a million scientists in the field. Lifshitz, who received his degrees at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University and Weizmannn Institute of Science, joined the Soreq Nuclear Research Center in 1971 and worked there until 2004 before joining the Technion.He worked on thin films at Soreq, where he was founding head of the space technology center for 12 years. His Technion group is involved in nanostructuring of inorganic materials using innovative approaches.
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Routing the best data service; Technion materials expert is tops.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and France Telecom (Orange Labs R&D) have agreed to apply targeted research done at the Beersheba university to the data networks of Europe’s third-largest telecommunications company. France Telecom will collaborate with Prof. Michael Segal of the department of communications system engineering to use “location theory” to determine the optimal placement of their routers so their customers will get the best service.“The question is where is the best place to position the routers to improve the performance of the network,” said Segal, one of only a few researchers in the world who attempt to apply the theory to communications networks. Location theory uses complex algorithms and reams of statistical data to determine optimal placement. The placement of routers is critical for customer satisfaction. For example, if a router is too far from a customer’s house, there could be delays in the streaming of video on demand, Segal explained. “We will look at factors such as user demand, historical use in particular neighborhoods – whether there was heavier use in the morning or evening – and bandwidth, among others,” he continued.France Telecom and BGU signed a general cooperation agreement last year; the location theory contract is the first specific project to emerge from that agreement.TECHNION MATERIALS EXPERT IS TOPS Prof. Yeshayahu Lifshitz of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology has been named one of the world’s 100 top material sciences experts of the past decade, according to Reuters-Thompson and the Times Literary Supplement. He was the only Israeli on this list, which was selected from half a million scientists in the field. Lifshitz, who received his degrees at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University and Weizmannn Institute of Science, joined the Soreq Nuclear Research Center in 1971 and worked there until 2004 before joining the Technion.He worked on thin films at Soreq, where he was founding head of the space technology center for 12 years. His Technion group is involved in nanostructuring of inorganic materials using innovative approaches.